"Let us find out," said Grace, ringing for the book, and turning over the leaves rapidly. "What is her name?" "I--I think it begins with a P," said Lady Lyons; "but, dear me, it is so stupid of me. I cannot remember her name at this moment." "Your kind friend and you have evidently not been corresponding lately," said Grace, laughing. "My dear Miss Rivers!" "Now I have got the P's," said Grace, "and I will run through the list." "Penshurst!" exclaimed Lady Lyons. "Yes, Penshurst is the name." "There are seventeen," said Grace, in an aggravated tone, "and they live all over London. What _is_ Mr. Penshurst?" "I do not know." "Ha!" said Grace suddenly, "this is funny. Here is a name Penryn. I used to know one of the girls a little, the daughter of Sir Jacob Penryn, and here is his address. I wonder if she would remember me?" "Was she at school with you?" asked Lady Lyons, with evident relief. "Oh! dear no. Her father had a place in the neighbourhood and we went there sometimes, my sister and I, because our father had shown some kindness to a son of his who had died." "But, my dear, that is a very good thing indeed; write at once, and say you have come into a fortune and are here. A beginning! Why he is an M.P., and has his own house in London." "No, I will not write," said Grace, decidedly, "and my fortune is hardly worth speaking about, but I will call, and if they wish to renew acquaintance they can return it." With this Lady Lyons had to be satisfied--indeed, she was more than satisfied, as the difficulty seemed to her to be completely overcome. She took heart now and went off on her own account to see a doctor, and paid a good deal to be assured there was nothing whatever seriously the matter with her. This was hardly what she had expected or what she anticipated--she was not at all sure she was pleased. Grace in the meantime left her card, and wrote on the top "In London for a short time with Lady Lyons." In a few days Miss Penryn called, a very nice-looking girl, dressed with extreme simplicity. She apologized for her mother and brought her card, and an invitation from Lady Penryn for a meeting to be held in her house that week. When she had left, Grace surveyed her elaborate white toilette and thought her lace frills too numerous. "It is overdone," she said, discontentedly, to Lady Lyons. "It is very sweet," said Lady Lyons, who was not thinking of her "young friend's" dress, but who was weighing in her own mind the pros and cons in connection with Lady Penryn's meeting. She wished to make acquaintance; on the other hand she was terribly afraid of having an appeal made to her pocket, and she was one of many who make small payments to stated charities, and do not like spontaneous action. Grace settled the point for her, saying with her usual nonchalance, "You will make your first appearance as my chaperone, Lady Lyons." After that she could make no objection, but she made many inquiries about Lady Penryn.